The present invention relates to a portable auger conveyor which is used for conveying bulk materials such as grain.
Conventional portable augers, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,621, include a non-pivoting, straight auger surrounded by a duct and attached to a supply hopper having a base positioned in the same plane as the auger and duct. Since the auger and duct do not pivot relative to each other, raising the deposit end of the auger and duct to an elevated deposit area results in tilting or angling of the supply hopper relative to the ground surface. This tilting of the supply hopper causes problems in loading the hopper from wagons or trucks.
Stationary auger apparatus having a height-adjustable, main conveyor auger and duct pivotable about a horizontal axis with respect to a horizontally flat supply hopper are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,175,676 and 3,014,575. The apparatus described therein include complicated pivot junctures. During harvest season, time is at a premium and thus portable augers are in continuous use. Since it is often necessary to move a portable auger to various work sites, it is advantageous to be able to assemble and disassemble the auger as quickly and easily as possible. The involved and time-consuming mechanics required to assemble and disassemble known horizontally pivoting auger apparatus makes them unsatisfactory for use on a portable auger. There is a need for a portable auger with a pivotable supply duct having a simple, readily assembled and disassembled mechanical structure.